


Truths and Illusions

by amalrukia



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Au!Max, F/F, No Storm, Post Episode 3, Rachel is alive, swapping timelines, two max
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-26 03:37:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6222115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amalrukia/pseuds/amalrukia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The power to change time and history might seem like a blessing, but the truth is, its a curse. Max tried to use her powers to make Chloe happy, but for what cost? She ended up in an illusion that she created. Post Episode 3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this story on fanfiction.net, and decided to put it here too. It's a different take on what could have happened when Max created the new timeline. Aaaand, the first three chapters were written before episode 4 happened...

Max forgot how to breathe.  
She did not expect this. She expected to see her friend happy, energetic, carefree… but not like this. Never like this.  
Chloe did look happy to see her, however, that happiness broke Max’s heart.  
“Why are you smiling at me? I did this to you. I did this to you.” Max thought, her hear aching with the guilt, and by some sort of miracle, she remembered how to speak.  
“Chloe.” She said, forcing a smile.  
“Took you long enough to come home, Max.” Chloe chuckled. Her voice sounded sore, as if breathing hurts, and yet, it sounded like music to the brunette’s ears. She sounded happy.  
“Come in Max.” William smiled at her, before leading his daughter inside.  
She came in, her eyes widening at the drastic change in the house. The old furniture was replaced, the house was painted, it was the contrast of the original one, it looked happier.  
“The house looks a bit different from the last time you’ve seen it.” Chloe stated with a grin. “That spot didn’t change.” Her gaze turned to the wine spot they tried to get rid of as kids, Max couldn’t help but smile.  
“So, how was Seattle?” The blonde asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and eagerness to hear about it.  
“It was nice.” Max answered. “But I was a bit lonely without my bodyguard.” She said smiling. It wasn’t a lie. It didn’t feel the same without her best friend.  
“Well, you know, maybe next time don’t leave your best friend behind? I got bored without you.” Chloe joked, however, her words stabbed Max’s heart.  
The time travel could feel her heart shattering into pieces. It was breaking slowly, and the regret was eating her inside out, like a poison, burning her veins.  
She felt as if she will breakdown at any minute.  
This is Chloe, her Chloe. The one she grew up with, made promises about travelling the world with. However, her thoughts wandered to the blue haired Chloe, the one who lost everything. The one she told about her powers, the one who was going to help her make the world bow, her partner in time and crime.  
They are both Chloe, and even though they are different, Max did not want to leave any of them behind. Not again.  
“I missed you.” Chloe stated, her smile turning into a frown. “Mom and Dad thought that we’d never see you again… but I knew you’ll come back.”  
That was when the photographer felt something inside her break, shattering into shards of glass.  
She hugged her best friend, and as much as she wanted to tighten her grip, to feel that she was still here, she was afraid that she would cause even more harm to her.  
“I missed you so much.” She admitted. She didn’t tell her Chloe how she felt, she didn’t tell her how much she regretted leaving five years ago. “I’m so sorry. If I could go back to that day, I would have never left.”  
How ironic it is to be able to control time and change history, and yet she can’t change the one thing she regretted the most.  
If she had stayed, if she was there to comfort her after William’s death, would things be different?  
She couldn’t help but wonder.  
“Max?” Chloe was confused, she could feel the brunette shaking. Her best friend senses told her that something is wrong, even after five years, she could tell when something is really bothering her friend. “Are you okay?”  
“I’m fine.” Max stated and pulled away, her hands were still on the blonde’s shoulders. She smiled, but the pain in her eyes was too much that Chloe could see it clearly. “I’m fine as long as you’re here.”  
To Max, this was the only truth in this illusion full of lies.


	2. Chapter 2

Spending time with the Price family again felt too good to be true.  
Joyce was pleased to see Max again and insisted that she stays for dinner.  
It felt as if nothing happened, as if everything was fine. The photographer would glance at William every now and then, afraid that he’d disappear. His death hurt her almost as much as it hurt her best friend. He was the flame that ignited her love for photography.  
The sight of Chloe happy again, with both her parents warmed her heart and made her wish that the moment would last forever, however, deep inside, she felt lost here.  
Everything was different, she was different.  
Max did not belong here.  
Once she went back to the dorms, the warmth was gone, it was replaced by emptiness.  
“I’m in the vortex club. Victoria and Nathan are my friends… Warren doesn’t recognize me anymore, David is a bus driver…. And I indirectly caused Chloe to become handicapped.” Max shook her head as she thought about the damage she caused.  
Her hand reached for the door knob but stopped midway.  
She didn’t know what to expect anymore.  
“Take a deep breath Max. You can do it.” She reassured herself before going into her room. “Wowser… this can’t be my room.” She looked at her surroundings and examined every object. There were pictures of her with Victoria and Nathan –which she looked at with disgust- along with ones from the vortex parties.  
To her relief, her old camera was there. “Glad I didn’t replace that…”  
She then checked her wardrobe and frowned at her ‘new’ clothes. “This is not my style, and who wears white trousers? Ew.”  
She then decided to check her laptop and the first thing that caught her attention was an email from Victoria.  
 _Hey Mad Max, how are you holding up? You were acting strange earlier. I’m worried about you, but I won’t blame you. This week is so fucked up! From the whales dying to what happened to Kate… Max, I still can’t believe we drove her to suicide… It was just to make her pay for those posters she made, I didn’t want her to die… God, what have we done…?_  
“No… No way! No!” Panic took over the photographer as she looked for info about her friend. “Please be alive… please let this be a stupid joke… please.” She froze as she saw the news.  
 _ **“Blackwell student commits suicide.”**_  
 _No…_  
Max fell off her chair due to the shock. Her eyes remained glued to the screen.  
“I… I bullied her….” She muttered to herself as a tear ran down her cheek, followed by more, each running down like a waterfall. “I made her jump… I killed Kate…”  
She tried to get up, but her whole body started shaking. “I didn’t do this… this… this isn’t me!” She tried to convince herself, despite knowing that she is not the same person in this timeline.  
It was too much. Things weren’t supposed to go this way.  
Everything was supposed to be perfect.  
Chloe was supposed to be happy and healthy.  
Warren was supposed to be her friend.  
Victoria and Nathan were supposed to hate her.  
Kate was supposed to be alive.  
Max wasn’t supposed to be this kind of person…  
 _“You’re right. This is not you.”_ A voice echoed in her head, followed by dizziness that made her lose her balance.  
Max grasped her head and moaned in pain. Her nose started bleeding again.  
“I saved Kate… She’s alive… this never happened.” She told herself as she struggled to get up. She managed to grasp her bag. She looked for her pictures from the original timeline, but she found nothing, not even her journal.  
“No… no no! I have to go back! This can’t happen! I want to go back!”  
“Get out of here. This is not your life! You don’t belong here! These are not _ **your**_ choices, these are not **_your_** friends! You can’t take over someone else’s life! **_Get out_**!”  
She heard it again, that voice… it was so far away, but it was familiar, way too familiar.  
“I’m trying!” She looked through her things, hoping to find something, anything that could make her undo her choice. “Please… anything. If only I didn’t tell Chloe about Rachel and Frank… if only…” She shook her head as she tried not to faint. “Fuck this power… It doesn’t mean shit!”  
Max finally gave up, and the only thing that she saw was darkness.  
“Max?”  
She opened her eyes a bit, her vision was blurry, but she could faintly see someone talking to her and shaking her.  
“Max hang on! I’ll get some help!”  
“Wait!” Max whispered loud enough for the person to hear her. She managed to grab their wrist. “Don’t go.”  
As her vision started to improve, she saw hazel eyes staring down at her, full with concern.


End file.
